Kayla Pearson & Sebastian Gonzalez (2018-2020)
As a student-run natural history museum, it is, of course, integral to the proper functioning of your organization that the student leadership be top-notch. In 2018, the PWM couldn't have asked for two better student ambassadors and environmental educators than Kayla Pearson (c/o '19) and Sebastian Gonzalez (c/o '20).
Two thousand eighteen was a year of major transition for the PWM as a program and organization. Mr. Tacata had just been named the new Instructor of Classes and was, himself, learning everything on the fly. Tacata had a very specific vision for the new direction of the Museum -a transition to a more conservation-themed approach to the tour being a major one- and getting veteran students of the program to buy-in to this new culture was a challenge. Kayla and Sebastian met that challenge and went above and beyond. During a school year that brought constant changes in protocol and major changes in culture, it was these two young people who led the way: mastering and improving the Tour Script, learning how to teach different age-groups on the fly, stalwart students at every Museum event, peer leaders with a sense of patience and grace that most adults fail to attain. They were the first Lead Docents in a new era at the Museum and, in Mr. Tacata's opinion, the "best he ever had."
Kayla Pearson is currently a junior at UC Santa Cruz majoring in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Science and Policy. Currently, she is an intern for the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve where she works on various animal/plant restoration projects around campus as well as an intern at the Ken Norris Center working as a taxidermy technician, processing and preserving specimens for the UCSC museum collection. And if that wasn't enough for a full-time student, she also works for Santa Cruz State Parks specializing in visitor engagement. In addition to all this, Kayla is also an adept illustrator and has serious thoughts about pursuing a career as a scientific illustrator. If you're interested in her work, check out her portfolio here: kaylapear.com/. Kayla has an immensely bright future ahead of her and we at the PWM are excited about the tremendous amount of love, joy, and passion for wildlife and conservation she will bring to the world in years to come.
Sebastian Gonzalez, a young man particularly adept in the fields of design and construction, is currently in his sophomore year at San Diego State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering. His old instructor, Mr. Tacata, can attest: the young man can fix or build just about anything (as he did during his tenure at the PWM, including the design and construction of the entirety of his namesake, the PWM Gonzalez Tortoise Garden). Sebastian has a true heart for wildlife and conservation, however, his deepest passion is flight: Sebastian earned his CA Private Pilot License as a senior in high school and since, has regularly spent his weekends adding on to his flight time and growing battery of ratings and permits. Sebastian's ultimate goal is to combat the effects of climate change in a very direct way: as a pilot for a wildfire fighting agency such as Cal Fire. Sebastian has the skills, discipline, and passion to achieve whatever he puts his mind and heart into... He has a ton to give our community and, in time, we're certain his gifts will change a lot of lives for the better.
Kayla and Sebastian's contributions to the Museum cannot be overstated; they stepped-up and developed into leaders during a time when the strongest student leaders were needed to guide the program and, as young people of color, served as powerful youth role-models amidst our community's changing demographics. Trust-worthy, quick thinking, articulate, hard-working, motivated, and disciplined, at every level, Kayla and Sebastian exceeded our expectations for defined excellence in a docent from our program and that's the truth... Or as Sebastian would say, "We ain't lion." ;)
As a student-run natural history museum, it is, of course, integral to the proper functioning of your organization that the student leadership be top-notch. In 2018, the PWM couldn't have asked for two better student ambassadors and environmental educators than Kayla Pearson (c/o '19) and Sebastian Gonzalez (c/o '20).
Two thousand eighteen was a year of major transition for the PWM as a program and organization. Mr. Tacata had just been named the new Instructor of Classes and was, himself, learning everything on the fly. Tacata had a very specific vision for the new direction of the Museum -a transition to a more conservation-themed approach to the tour being a major one- and getting veteran students of the program to buy-in to this new culture was a challenge. Kayla and Sebastian met that challenge and went above and beyond. During a school year that brought constant changes in protocol and major changes in culture, it was these two young people who led the way: mastering and improving the Tour Script, learning how to teach different age-groups on the fly, stalwart students at every Museum event, peer leaders with a sense of patience and grace that most adults fail to attain. They were the first Lead Docents in a new era at the Museum and, in Mr. Tacata's opinion, the "best he ever had."
Kayla Pearson is currently a junior at UC Santa Cruz majoring in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Science and Policy. Currently, she is an intern for the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve where she works on various animal/plant restoration projects around campus as well as an intern at the Ken Norris Center working as a taxidermy technician, processing and preserving specimens for the UCSC museum collection. And if that wasn't enough for a full-time student, she also works for Santa Cruz State Parks specializing in visitor engagement. In addition to all this, Kayla is also an adept illustrator and has serious thoughts about pursuing a career as a scientific illustrator. If you're interested in her work, check out her portfolio here: kaylapear.com/. Kayla has an immensely bright future ahead of her and we at the PWM are excited about the tremendous amount of love, joy, and passion for wildlife and conservation she will bring to the world in years to come.
Sebastian Gonzalez, a young man particularly adept in the fields of design and construction, is currently in his sophomore year at San Diego State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering. His old instructor, Mr. Tacata, can attest: the young man can fix or build just about anything (as he did during his tenure at the PWM, including the design and construction of the entirety of his namesake, the PWM Gonzalez Tortoise Garden). Sebastian has a true heart for wildlife and conservation, however, his deepest passion is flight: Sebastian earned his CA Private Pilot License as a senior in high school and since, has regularly spent his weekends adding on to his flight time and growing battery of ratings and permits. Sebastian's ultimate goal is to combat the effects of climate change in a very direct way: as a pilot for a wildfire fighting agency such as Cal Fire. Sebastian has the skills, discipline, and passion to achieve whatever he puts his mind and heart into... He has a ton to give our community and, in time, we're certain his gifts will change a lot of lives for the better.
Kayla and Sebastian's contributions to the Museum cannot be overstated; they stepped-up and developed into leaders during a time when the strongest student leaders were needed to guide the program and, as young people of color, served as powerful youth role-models amidst our community's changing demographics. Trust-worthy, quick thinking, articulate, hard-working, motivated, and disciplined, at every level, Kayla and Sebastian exceeded our expectations for defined excellence in a docent from our program and that's the truth... Or as Sebastian would say, "We ain't lion." ;)
Devin Bach (2019-2020)
Few docents have shown a mastery of reptilian husbandry and dedication to our live animal collection as Devin Bach displayed during her tenure at the PWM. Devin cared for and loved our reptiles as if they were her own, and as far as Devin was concerned, as long as she was around, they WERE her animals! She knew everything about the creatures in our collection: basic biology and specific adaptations, range and conservation status, diet in the wild and recommended diet in captivity, humidity, heat, and UV requirements, lifespan, common and uncommon ailments, morph and subspecies, date of acquisition... You name it, Dev knew it, and in this role she served as an invaluable and reliable resource for our zoo during a time when the new Instructor was just learning the ropes and the new Animal Care Tech wasn't yet integrated into the school day schedule.
Speaking of schedules, in her Senior year at PHS, Devin was enrolled in one of the Museum Management sections, was TA of the other MM section, and would often spend her 3rd hour off-period in the museum finishing any trouble feedings or husbandry duties left undone by the previous class. In any given week for almost an entire academic school year, Devin would lead up to 8 elementary school tours, then spend another 20 extra hours outside of class to ensure proper feeding and husbandry was completed. Add that to the fact that she was also a straight-A student concurrently enrolled in 2 night classes at the JC, a stalwart bi-weekly volunteer at the Museum's Saturday Open House events, and also a volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito literally saving elephant seals every Tuesday night and you get a better picture of just how talented this young woman was... To paraphrase Maya, "Phenomenal woman, that's her."
Currently, Devin is a sophomore at UC Davis majoring in Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology. She hopes to pursue a career in Marine Pathology or, if the opportunity is right, as a Field Biologist researching any number of the amazing fauna she has come to learn, love, and protect. While attending school via distance learning during her freshman year (due to the statewide Covid shutdown), Devin continued on as an adult volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center and has developed deep ties with the rescue and rehabilitation organization that will, undoubtedly, last throughout her lifetime. Our Museum, our PWM Family, and especially our precious Animal Ambassadors, owe a debt of gratitude for the love, dedication, and care gifted by one of the best to ever come through our program; thank you, Dev, for taking care of us all.
Few docents have shown a mastery of reptilian husbandry and dedication to our live animal collection as Devin Bach displayed during her tenure at the PWM. Devin cared for and loved our reptiles as if they were her own, and as far as Devin was concerned, as long as she was around, they WERE her animals! She knew everything about the creatures in our collection: basic biology and specific adaptations, range and conservation status, diet in the wild and recommended diet in captivity, humidity, heat, and UV requirements, lifespan, common and uncommon ailments, morph and subspecies, date of acquisition... You name it, Dev knew it, and in this role she served as an invaluable and reliable resource for our zoo during a time when the new Instructor was just learning the ropes and the new Animal Care Tech wasn't yet integrated into the school day schedule.
Speaking of schedules, in her Senior year at PHS, Devin was enrolled in one of the Museum Management sections, was TA of the other MM section, and would often spend her 3rd hour off-period in the museum finishing any trouble feedings or husbandry duties left undone by the previous class. In any given week for almost an entire academic school year, Devin would lead up to 8 elementary school tours, then spend another 20 extra hours outside of class to ensure proper feeding and husbandry was completed. Add that to the fact that she was also a straight-A student concurrently enrolled in 2 night classes at the JC, a stalwart bi-weekly volunteer at the Museum's Saturday Open House events, and also a volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito literally saving elephant seals every Tuesday night and you get a better picture of just how talented this young woman was... To paraphrase Maya, "Phenomenal woman, that's her."
Currently, Devin is a sophomore at UC Davis majoring in Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology. She hopes to pursue a career in Marine Pathology or, if the opportunity is right, as a Field Biologist researching any number of the amazing fauna she has come to learn, love, and protect. While attending school via distance learning during her freshman year (due to the statewide Covid shutdown), Devin continued on as an adult volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center and has developed deep ties with the rescue and rehabilitation organization that will, undoubtedly, last throughout her lifetime. Our Museum, our PWM Family, and especially our precious Animal Ambassadors, owe a debt of gratitude for the love, dedication, and care gifted by one of the best to ever come through our program; thank you, Dev, for taking care of us all.
Riley Hammack (2019-2020)
Anyone who watched her work can attest: Riley Hammack was a FORCE OF NATURE during her tenure at the PWM! Instructor of Classes Tacata remembers Riley's time at the Museum fondly as she was "an unbelievably polished and articulate presenter whose passion for the preservation of wildlife and wild places came over visitors like a wash of seafoam in the surf." Riley's ability to connect with children of all ages and communicate complex concepts of conservation to visitors was legendary... Week-in-and-week-out, children armed with all sorts of terrible animal phobias would walk into the museum and, by the end of the tour, Riley would have those same kids with boas around their necks, tarantulas in their palms, and geckos gripping their fingers... Riles brought the smiles! These children would leave the Museum with grins so radiant they could power their own mini food webs :) On tour, Riley was extremely adept at adjusting her vocabulary and tour examples to be age-and-developmentally appropriate for her guests; she was equally proficient at explaining the consequences of habitat loss to 7-year-olds as she was explaining the complexities of trophic cascades to adults.
While Riley's natural teaching abilities were remarkable for her age, even more remarkable was her dedication to the craft: after every tour, she would find a quiet place to reflect, taking mental note on what worked and what didn't, then practice making appropriate adjustments, and come back the next day and execute. Over the course of 2 years, Riley's presentations approached perfection, the only thing slowing her down being a darn global pandemic. Yes, she was a natural, but NO ONE during her tenure at the Museum outworked Riley Hammack and no one had a bigger heart.
Riles is currently a freshman at at Western Washington University majoring in Environmental Ecology with a focus on Education. She hopes, one day, to become a teacher, able to share her passion and knowledge of animals and conservation with folks for a living. In her spare time, she loves biking, hiking, and all-things-outdoors. She's also an active volunteer at various local river restoration organizations based in the Bellingham area and has recently picked up the sport of weightlifting, because the weight of the world on her generation's shoulders isn't enough. Maestra Hammack, keep learning, keep teaching, and never, ever stop loving... The PWM is proud of you <3
Anyone who watched her work can attest: Riley Hammack was a FORCE OF NATURE during her tenure at the PWM! Instructor of Classes Tacata remembers Riley's time at the Museum fondly as she was "an unbelievably polished and articulate presenter whose passion for the preservation of wildlife and wild places came over visitors like a wash of seafoam in the surf." Riley's ability to connect with children of all ages and communicate complex concepts of conservation to visitors was legendary... Week-in-and-week-out, children armed with all sorts of terrible animal phobias would walk into the museum and, by the end of the tour, Riley would have those same kids with boas around their necks, tarantulas in their palms, and geckos gripping their fingers... Riles brought the smiles! These children would leave the Museum with grins so radiant they could power their own mini food webs :) On tour, Riley was extremely adept at adjusting her vocabulary and tour examples to be age-and-developmentally appropriate for her guests; she was equally proficient at explaining the consequences of habitat loss to 7-year-olds as she was explaining the complexities of trophic cascades to adults.
While Riley's natural teaching abilities were remarkable for her age, even more remarkable was her dedication to the craft: after every tour, she would find a quiet place to reflect, taking mental note on what worked and what didn't, then practice making appropriate adjustments, and come back the next day and execute. Over the course of 2 years, Riley's presentations approached perfection, the only thing slowing her down being a darn global pandemic. Yes, she was a natural, but NO ONE during her tenure at the Museum outworked Riley Hammack and no one had a bigger heart.
Riles is currently a freshman at at Western Washington University majoring in Environmental Ecology with a focus on Education. She hopes, one day, to become a teacher, able to share her passion and knowledge of animals and conservation with folks for a living. In her spare time, she loves biking, hiking, and all-things-outdoors. She's also an active volunteer at various local river restoration organizations based in the Bellingham area and has recently picked up the sport of weightlifting, because the weight of the world on her generation's shoulders isn't enough. Maestra Hammack, keep learning, keep teaching, and never, ever stop loving... The PWM is proud of you <3
Bailey Moeller (2021-2022)
During her three-year tenure at the Museum, Bailey Moeller was universally respected by her peers and became a "go-to" leader of the program. She had a beautiful energy about her and an always supportive demeanor as she bridged the diverse and not-always-easy-to-get-along-with mix of personalities that enter our program: she could connect with the animal-loving outsiders (as she loves reptiles and has her own weird-little cold-blooded menagerie at home), held the respect of the "popular" kids (because she was fiercely independent, could drive a clutch, and was over-all just cooler than they were cause she raced motorcycles!), and was flat-out smarter than the academic/honors kids (she was one of the most insightful students Mr. Tacata had in his teaching career). In addition, Bailey worked as an assistant vet tech at an animal clinic in Rohnert Park and was also one of the teen volunteers assisting Bonnie Cromwell and Classroom Safari with the weekly husbandry of their exotic animal collection... You ever read the biographies of folks like astronauts and presidents, that, growing up, they were all living superheroes who could run a 5-minute mile, speak 12 languages, AND were Rhodes Scholars to boot? Yeah, that's Bails ;)
The 2021-22 school year was a year of strange transitions; coming back to school for the first time since the 2-year Covid lockdown, EVERYONE -students and staff- was out-of-sync and looking for leadership. A Jack-of-All Trades, Bailey was the perfect docent to lead this brand-new generation of Museum Management students... She had the last real docent experience at the Museum pre-Covid and was proficient in all the aspects needed to be an excellent docent at the PWM: she was a confident and polished public speaker, had mastered the concepts of conservation biology taught in the class over Zoom, and, because of her trusted connection with her classmates, was excellent at delegating directions and responsibilities to her peers. Along with fellow Lead Docent, Zoey Haines, Bailey successfully piloted the new "Zoo-Haul" program, bringing our Ambassador Animals and message of conservation out to over 1000 elementary students in the community during a time when field trips to the PWM were non-existent.
Bailey is currently attending Cal Poly Humboldt and is enjoying the life of a Zoology major in Mendocino County: redwood hikes, coastal cruises, and tide pool jaunts pepper her time in between Botany lecture and Chem lab. Bailey has her sights on many a pathway including Exotic Animal Veterinarian, but if you looked into her dreams, you'd see Bailey Moeller: Teuthologist, clinging on to the mantle of a giant squid, diving deep into the darkness of the mesopelagic...
Hey, why not?
Superheroes can do anything.
During her three-year tenure at the Museum, Bailey Moeller was universally respected by her peers and became a "go-to" leader of the program. She had a beautiful energy about her and an always supportive demeanor as she bridged the diverse and not-always-easy-to-get-along-with mix of personalities that enter our program: she could connect with the animal-loving outsiders (as she loves reptiles and has her own weird-little cold-blooded menagerie at home), held the respect of the "popular" kids (because she was fiercely independent, could drive a clutch, and was over-all just cooler than they were cause she raced motorcycles!), and was flat-out smarter than the academic/honors kids (she was one of the most insightful students Mr. Tacata had in his teaching career). In addition, Bailey worked as an assistant vet tech at an animal clinic in Rohnert Park and was also one of the teen volunteers assisting Bonnie Cromwell and Classroom Safari with the weekly husbandry of their exotic animal collection... You ever read the biographies of folks like astronauts and presidents, that, growing up, they were all living superheroes who could run a 5-minute mile, speak 12 languages, AND were Rhodes Scholars to boot? Yeah, that's Bails ;)
The 2021-22 school year was a year of strange transitions; coming back to school for the first time since the 2-year Covid lockdown, EVERYONE -students and staff- was out-of-sync and looking for leadership. A Jack-of-All Trades, Bailey was the perfect docent to lead this brand-new generation of Museum Management students... She had the last real docent experience at the Museum pre-Covid and was proficient in all the aspects needed to be an excellent docent at the PWM: she was a confident and polished public speaker, had mastered the concepts of conservation biology taught in the class over Zoom, and, because of her trusted connection with her classmates, was excellent at delegating directions and responsibilities to her peers. Along with fellow Lead Docent, Zoey Haines, Bailey successfully piloted the new "Zoo-Haul" program, bringing our Ambassador Animals and message of conservation out to over 1000 elementary students in the community during a time when field trips to the PWM were non-existent.
Bailey is currently attending Cal Poly Humboldt and is enjoying the life of a Zoology major in Mendocino County: redwood hikes, coastal cruises, and tide pool jaunts pepper her time in between Botany lecture and Chem lab. Bailey has her sights on many a pathway including Exotic Animal Veterinarian, but if you looked into her dreams, you'd see Bailey Moeller: Teuthologist, clinging on to the mantle of a giant squid, diving deep into the darkness of the mesopelagic...
Hey, why not?
Superheroes can do anything.
Zoey Haines (2021-2022)
Penngrove native, Zoey Haines, was born to work with animals. The daughter of a pinniped and pachyderm trainer, Zoey's list of animal husbandry and keeping experience at the end of her senior year looked like a professional's mid-career resume:
Zoey was a straight-A student throughout high school and is easily one of the most polished and complete docents the PWM has ever produced; we are unbelievably proud (and lucky) to have had her, and she can proudly wear those accolades and awards listed above for everyone to see as a testament to her Command Performance career thus far.
However, the Zoey I got to know during her time at the Museum was much more than just the sum of her medals. She was a tender-hearted artist with a deft hand for animalia and a soft-sense for color and texture. As a junior during the Covid shutdown, she spent some 25+ hours cramped and tucked into the lower-case of the Museum's Biodiversity exhibit painting that beautiful elephant in the Poaching exhibit, which was also of her own design. Somehow, she captured both a look of fear and majesty in the eyes of that beast -perfect for the serious nature of the display- and it is the first thing older children comment and gravitate towards when they enter the building. She also painted the expansive Himalayan skyscape that sets the backdrop for our Alpine Exhibit, each cloud beautifully blended, wistful and playful (as playful as the many hidden figures you'll find if you look hard enough; yip-yip!).
Zoey was also an accomplished archer. It's hard to explain to the uninitiated just how difficult it actually is to nock an arrow, stretch and hold a compound bow across your chest without waver, have the concentration and presence of mind to fire between breaths, and go gold on a target over a football field away! Yeah, Zoey could shoot with the best of them and the level discipline it takes to excel in that sport is something Zoey had in droves... I remember she had an archery competition in Atwater the morning of her Senior Prom (155 miles from Petaluma); she got up at 4am, fed and cleaned the cages of all her animals, made an 8am competition start time, medaled, drove to San Francisco by the early afternoon, got dolled up, and by 6pm walked into the Prom at the Academy of Sciences in a stunning black & green dress like she was Katniss, herself!
As dedicated to the Museum as she was, Zoey was also an incredibly devoted band kid, but not in the way you'd think... I once asked her what her favorite style of music was (as well as her favorite band) and she said she really didn't have one and that she appreciates all kinds of music. Thinking that was a cop-out of an answer, I prodded deeper and asked, "So why do you play music? Why are you in band then?" And she said, "I like being able to play in synchronicity with other people, to communicate with each other in a different way... To speak to and with someone else without having to say a word." Damn, Zoey... That's legit.
Zoey is currently attending Santa Rosa Junior College and continues her volunteer duties at Classroom Safari and the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito. She finished her internship at Safari West at the end of Summer 2022 and hopes to move up into a part-time zookeeper role later this year. Zoey also continues to play flute in the SRJC Band (although she is really hoping to take up the tsungi horn, that is unless everything changes when the Fire Nation attacks) and also continues to compete in the most senior levels of 4-H (chickens, guinea pigs, dogs, and archery). Also, as of November 2022, Zoey is the newest PWM Board Member. Ultimately, Zoey hopes to transfer to a university and pursue a pathway and career in Animal Training & Behavior and Environmental Education. No doubt she'll continue to be and do all the amazing things she's done all along, likely racking up more achievements and accolades along the way. But no matter how much hardware this spectacular young woman takes home, she'll always be, to those of us at the PWM who were lucky enough to really get to know her, much, much more than a medal.
Penngrove native, Zoey Haines, was born to work with animals. The daughter of a pinniped and pachyderm trainer, Zoey's list of animal husbandry and keeping experience at the end of her senior year looked like a professional's mid-career resume:
- 4-H Breeder/Seller (since age 8): chickens (egg-laying & market birds), quail (Japanese & button), rabbits, guinea pigs
- 6x Champion & 3x winner of the Senior Exhibitor Award - Sonoma County Fair: chickens & guinea pigs
- Trainer and Champion (since age 11): dogs (agility)
- Keeper - Safari West (since age 12)
- Husbandry/Maintenance & Public Education - Classroom Safari
- Docent - Marine Mammal Center Youth Crew
- Recipient - 2022 PWM Ron Head Award for Environmental Education
- Recipient - 2022 Sonoma County Fish & Wildlife Commission Scholarship
- Card-carrying member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (since 2021)
Zoey was a straight-A student throughout high school and is easily one of the most polished and complete docents the PWM has ever produced; we are unbelievably proud (and lucky) to have had her, and she can proudly wear those accolades and awards listed above for everyone to see as a testament to her Command Performance career thus far.
However, the Zoey I got to know during her time at the Museum was much more than just the sum of her medals. She was a tender-hearted artist with a deft hand for animalia and a soft-sense for color and texture. As a junior during the Covid shutdown, she spent some 25+ hours cramped and tucked into the lower-case of the Museum's Biodiversity exhibit painting that beautiful elephant in the Poaching exhibit, which was also of her own design. Somehow, she captured both a look of fear and majesty in the eyes of that beast -perfect for the serious nature of the display- and it is the first thing older children comment and gravitate towards when they enter the building. She also painted the expansive Himalayan skyscape that sets the backdrop for our Alpine Exhibit, each cloud beautifully blended, wistful and playful (as playful as the many hidden figures you'll find if you look hard enough; yip-yip!).
Zoey was also an accomplished archer. It's hard to explain to the uninitiated just how difficult it actually is to nock an arrow, stretch and hold a compound bow across your chest without waver, have the concentration and presence of mind to fire between breaths, and go gold on a target over a football field away! Yeah, Zoey could shoot with the best of them and the level discipline it takes to excel in that sport is something Zoey had in droves... I remember she had an archery competition in Atwater the morning of her Senior Prom (155 miles from Petaluma); she got up at 4am, fed and cleaned the cages of all her animals, made an 8am competition start time, medaled, drove to San Francisco by the early afternoon, got dolled up, and by 6pm walked into the Prom at the Academy of Sciences in a stunning black & green dress like she was Katniss, herself!
As dedicated to the Museum as she was, Zoey was also an incredibly devoted band kid, but not in the way you'd think... I once asked her what her favorite style of music was (as well as her favorite band) and she said she really didn't have one and that she appreciates all kinds of music. Thinking that was a cop-out of an answer, I prodded deeper and asked, "So why do you play music? Why are you in band then?" And she said, "I like being able to play in synchronicity with other people, to communicate with each other in a different way... To speak to and with someone else without having to say a word." Damn, Zoey... That's legit.
Zoey is currently attending Santa Rosa Junior College and continues her volunteer duties at Classroom Safari and the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito. She finished her internship at Safari West at the end of Summer 2022 and hopes to move up into a part-time zookeeper role later this year. Zoey also continues to play flute in the SRJC Band (although she is really hoping to take up the tsungi horn, that is unless everything changes when the Fire Nation attacks) and also continues to compete in the most senior levels of 4-H (chickens, guinea pigs, dogs, and archery). Also, as of November 2022, Zoey is the newest PWM Board Member. Ultimately, Zoey hopes to transfer to a university and pursue a pathway and career in Animal Training & Behavior and Environmental Education. No doubt she'll continue to be and do all the amazing things she's done all along, likely racking up more achievements and accolades along the way. But no matter how much hardware this spectacular young woman takes home, she'll always be, to those of us at the PWM who were lucky enough to really get to know her, much, much more than a medal.
Bruno Belforte (Lead Docent - c/o '23)
*Original entry August, 2022
Few docents have come through our program that are as polished in their delivery of “The Tour” as Bruno Belforte. That confidence and shine doesn’t come from chance, however; inspired by the conservation concepts he’s learned in our program, Bruno has put in countless hours of individual study and research outside of class on just about every single animal — live or taxidermied – on display in our museum. He seems to know basic (and a ton of not-so-basic) biology facts as well as the conservation status and history of just about every creature on our premises. Considering we have 60+ living species and a couple hundred pieces of taxidermy and artifacts, that’s quite a mini-library of knowledge that Mr. Belforte has developed in a relatively short amount of time. Bruno came to our program only a year ago and has already mastered every aspect of the class. Instructor Tacata is impressed every time he watches Bruno deliver a museum tour: it seems he adds something new and exciting to his endlessly evolving and personalized script as visitors can feel the young maven’s passion to the point that they have no choice but to end up caring about the creatures and concepts he teaches.
Last year, Bruno spent 6 months learning and practicing exotic animal husbandry with Bonnie Cromwell and Classroom Safari and continues on this year as one of Bonnie’s animal presenters at birthday parties and educational events. Later this fall, Bruno will be one of our initial docents volunteers with the Marin County-based Chileno Valley Newt Brigade, helping the community conservation efforts to protect and conserve local California rough-skinned newts from road-strikes on their annual journey from the foothills to the lake. Also later this fall, Bruno will be applying for one of the coveted volunteer positions as a member of the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito’s “Youth Crew,” a group of 35 Bay Area teens who help in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured and abandoned pinnipeds covering over 600 miles of California coast. Bruno is going to be up to his eyes in animals this year, and there’s nothing that would make him happier :)
After high school, Bruno hopes to attend a 4-year university and continue his studies in Zoology (or possibly Marine Science) with a concentration in wildlife/marine conservation. Ultimately, Bruno wants to work with wild/exotic animals in some capacity – research, conservation, public policy, and/or education – and it’s safe to say the young man’s had an excellent start!
We at the Museum are proud of Bruno, for all he’s done for the program, all he’s doing for the program, and what he represents when he leaves the program… It will be young, talented, passionate, and hard-working folks like Bruno Belforte that will use their knowledge and experience to lead our local and global communities through the climate crisis, hopefully finding solutions that will lead to a better world for all the creatures with which we share our fragile planet.
*Original entry August, 2022
Few docents have come through our program that are as polished in their delivery of “The Tour” as Bruno Belforte. That confidence and shine doesn’t come from chance, however; inspired by the conservation concepts he’s learned in our program, Bruno has put in countless hours of individual study and research outside of class on just about every single animal — live or taxidermied – on display in our museum. He seems to know basic (and a ton of not-so-basic) biology facts as well as the conservation status and history of just about every creature on our premises. Considering we have 60+ living species and a couple hundred pieces of taxidermy and artifacts, that’s quite a mini-library of knowledge that Mr. Belforte has developed in a relatively short amount of time. Bruno came to our program only a year ago and has already mastered every aspect of the class. Instructor Tacata is impressed every time he watches Bruno deliver a museum tour: it seems he adds something new and exciting to his endlessly evolving and personalized script as visitors can feel the young maven’s passion to the point that they have no choice but to end up caring about the creatures and concepts he teaches.
Last year, Bruno spent 6 months learning and practicing exotic animal husbandry with Bonnie Cromwell and Classroom Safari and continues on this year as one of Bonnie’s animal presenters at birthday parties and educational events. Later this fall, Bruno will be one of our initial docents volunteers with the Marin County-based Chileno Valley Newt Brigade, helping the community conservation efforts to protect and conserve local California rough-skinned newts from road-strikes on their annual journey from the foothills to the lake. Also later this fall, Bruno will be applying for one of the coveted volunteer positions as a member of the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito’s “Youth Crew,” a group of 35 Bay Area teens who help in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured and abandoned pinnipeds covering over 600 miles of California coast. Bruno is going to be up to his eyes in animals this year, and there’s nothing that would make him happier :)
After high school, Bruno hopes to attend a 4-year university and continue his studies in Zoology (or possibly Marine Science) with a concentration in wildlife/marine conservation. Ultimately, Bruno wants to work with wild/exotic animals in some capacity – research, conservation, public policy, and/or education – and it’s safe to say the young man’s had an excellent start!
We at the Museum are proud of Bruno, for all he’s done for the program, all he’s doing for the program, and what he represents when he leaves the program… It will be young, talented, passionate, and hard-working folks like Bruno Belforte that will use their knowledge and experience to lead our local and global communities through the climate crisis, hopefully finding solutions that will lead to a better world for all the creatures with which we share our fragile planet.
Cydney Doyle (Lead Docent - c/o '23)
*Original entry August, 2022
On any given Saturday this year, visitors might walk into a PWM Open House and have the pleasure of receiving a tour given by the one-and-only Cydney Doyle. For those of you that are that lucky, let me tell you: you’re in for a treat!
Cydney has a way about her, a style of teaching that, when you’re with her, you just can’t help but listen and want to learn… Her infectious enthusiasm and electric personality will take you to the comet-filled skies of the Cretacous, swing you through the swirls of a Serenghetti zebra dazzle, and have you slithering side-by-side the constrictor-cramped swamps of the Everglades; she’s an adept storyteller and, at only 18-years of age, is – in Instructor Tacata’s opinion – a more polished and complete a teacher than most actual first-year teachers in the business.
Cydney first joined the museum as a sophomore during the fated covid shutdown of 2020. Over Zoom, Cyd learned all the basics of wildlife conservation from the online Museum Management course, but it was last year, when students finally returned to campus full time, that Cydney’s talents and hard work began to show. Week-after-week, while others shied away, Cydney repeatedly volunteered to shadow the Senior Lead Docents, learning the depths and details of the PWM tour from the inside. She took notes, scripted out her own personalized monologues and, ultimately, began leading tours on her own; Cydney shined in the spotlight!
In addition to her docent work, Cydney also volunteers for Bonnie Cromwell’s Classroom Safari and will be joining the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade this fall, offering her time and efforts to conserving native species of salamander in Marin/Sonoma counties. After high school, Miss Doyle hopes to attend the local junior college and ultimately transfer to a university, exploring any option that involves working with animals. Cydney has also experienced an affinity for teaching and could see herself pursuing a career in education. One of her future goals is, in her own words, “to take Tacata’s job (as Instructor of the Museum).” Let me tell you, if that day comes, there will be no one more proud than Mr. Tacata, himself!
Cydney is a dedicated wildlife supporter, a compassionate animal-lover with a Thoreau-esque connection to nature and wild places. She is a champion of environmentally conscious policy and believes to her core that her generation can correct the ecological and environmental mistakes of generations past. A vibrant young person with a story for every snake and a tale for every taxidermy, Miss Doyle is ready to deliver her special brand of biology to the inspire the next generation of conservationists that walk through the doors of the PWM <3
*Original entry August, 2022
On any given Saturday this year, visitors might walk into a PWM Open House and have the pleasure of receiving a tour given by the one-and-only Cydney Doyle. For those of you that are that lucky, let me tell you: you’re in for a treat!
Cydney has a way about her, a style of teaching that, when you’re with her, you just can’t help but listen and want to learn… Her infectious enthusiasm and electric personality will take you to the comet-filled skies of the Cretacous, swing you through the swirls of a Serenghetti zebra dazzle, and have you slithering side-by-side the constrictor-cramped swamps of the Everglades; she’s an adept storyteller and, at only 18-years of age, is – in Instructor Tacata’s opinion – a more polished and complete a teacher than most actual first-year teachers in the business.
Cydney first joined the museum as a sophomore during the fated covid shutdown of 2020. Over Zoom, Cyd learned all the basics of wildlife conservation from the online Museum Management course, but it was last year, when students finally returned to campus full time, that Cydney’s talents and hard work began to show. Week-after-week, while others shied away, Cydney repeatedly volunteered to shadow the Senior Lead Docents, learning the depths and details of the PWM tour from the inside. She took notes, scripted out her own personalized monologues and, ultimately, began leading tours on her own; Cydney shined in the spotlight!
In addition to her docent work, Cydney also volunteers for Bonnie Cromwell’s Classroom Safari and will be joining the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade this fall, offering her time and efforts to conserving native species of salamander in Marin/Sonoma counties. After high school, Miss Doyle hopes to attend the local junior college and ultimately transfer to a university, exploring any option that involves working with animals. Cydney has also experienced an affinity for teaching and could see herself pursuing a career in education. One of her future goals is, in her own words, “to take Tacata’s job (as Instructor of the Museum).” Let me tell you, if that day comes, there will be no one more proud than Mr. Tacata, himself!
Cydney is a dedicated wildlife supporter, a compassionate animal-lover with a Thoreau-esque connection to nature and wild places. She is a champion of environmentally conscious policy and believes to her core that her generation can correct the ecological and environmental mistakes of generations past. A vibrant young person with a story for every snake and a tale for every taxidermy, Miss Doyle is ready to deliver her special brand of biology to the inspire the next generation of conservationists that walk through the doors of the PWM <3
Mia Vaughn (Lead Docent - c/o '23)
*Original entry August, 2022
Senior, Mia Vaughn, is an exceptional young woman who has been a dedicated and stalwart docent for the PWM over the last three years. As a sophomore during the “lost class of COVID - 2020,” Mia learned all the basic concepts of modern wildlife conservation and management via Zoom. Upon return to in-class learning, Mia hit the ground running her Junior year, immediately taking a leadership role in the class and adeptly helping out with tours and simultaneously delving into the minutiae of handling, husbandry, and working with “expert level” live animal ambassadors. Whether working with our 10-foot Burmese python, Kiara, or our 20-pound iguanas, Ruby & Kermit, or our extremely delicate (and stunningly gorgeous and endangered) Mexican alligator lizards, Mia has shown a level of maturity, dedication, and developed a level of husbandry expertise that few students in our program reach.
For example, Mia was able to take a very difficult-to-work-with blue-tongued skink, Roxy (“spicy” is probably a better descriptor), and spent countless hours training that lizard to the point where she’s now a kitten-tame petting-favorite for even our youngest visitors. Also, (in conjunction with a small, dedicated group of docents) Mia has developed a special relationship with one of our most beloved Animal Ambassadors, Olive the sun conure. Young birds can be especially difficult to manage and bond; Mia’s unique commitment to training and trust-building with Olive is going to pay off for the next 20 years as that bird delights and educates the next generation of visitors to our Museum.
Throughout her Senior year, Mia has proven to be one of our most enthusiastic and personable docents. An excellent improviser, Mia never balks at an opportunity to lead a tour with even the most rambunctious visitors. She is able to adeptly flow between questions and ideas, flexing her script to the needs and personality of her tour group. Most importantly, Mia serves as a dynamic role model for our young visitors, especially young girls and kids of color who come to the museum and get a chance to see, first-hand, a confident young woman of color and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who is one of the best to ever do this.
Ms. Vaughn is truly an example of the best Petaluma High School has to offer: an excellent student, powerful athlete (softball & basketball), President of the PHS Recycling Club, Senior Leader of the PHS Link Crew (freshman mentorship program), producer and anchor of the Trojan Broadcast Channel, irrepressible Student Ambassador and member of the Petaluma City Schools Board of Directors, and -of course- Lead Docent at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum… Mia does it all and she does it right. And we at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum are lucky to have her.
*Original entry August, 2022
Senior, Mia Vaughn, is an exceptional young woman who has been a dedicated and stalwart docent for the PWM over the last three years. As a sophomore during the “lost class of COVID - 2020,” Mia learned all the basic concepts of modern wildlife conservation and management via Zoom. Upon return to in-class learning, Mia hit the ground running her Junior year, immediately taking a leadership role in the class and adeptly helping out with tours and simultaneously delving into the minutiae of handling, husbandry, and working with “expert level” live animal ambassadors. Whether working with our 10-foot Burmese python, Kiara, or our 20-pound iguanas, Ruby & Kermit, or our extremely delicate (and stunningly gorgeous and endangered) Mexican alligator lizards, Mia has shown a level of maturity, dedication, and developed a level of husbandry expertise that few students in our program reach.
For example, Mia was able to take a very difficult-to-work-with blue-tongued skink, Roxy (“spicy” is probably a better descriptor), and spent countless hours training that lizard to the point where she’s now a kitten-tame petting-favorite for even our youngest visitors. Also, (in conjunction with a small, dedicated group of docents) Mia has developed a special relationship with one of our most beloved Animal Ambassadors, Olive the sun conure. Young birds can be especially difficult to manage and bond; Mia’s unique commitment to training and trust-building with Olive is going to pay off for the next 20 years as that bird delights and educates the next generation of visitors to our Museum.
Throughout her Senior year, Mia has proven to be one of our most enthusiastic and personable docents. An excellent improviser, Mia never balks at an opportunity to lead a tour with even the most rambunctious visitors. She is able to adeptly flow between questions and ideas, flexing her script to the needs and personality of her tour group. Most importantly, Mia serves as a dynamic role model for our young visitors, especially young girls and kids of color who come to the museum and get a chance to see, first-hand, a confident young woman of color and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who is one of the best to ever do this.
Ms. Vaughn is truly an example of the best Petaluma High School has to offer: an excellent student, powerful athlete (softball & basketball), President of the PHS Recycling Club, Senior Leader of the PHS Link Crew (freshman mentorship program), producer and anchor of the Trojan Broadcast Channel, irrepressible Student Ambassador and member of the Petaluma City Schools Board of Directors, and -of course- Lead Docent at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum… Mia does it all and she does it right. And we at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum are lucky to have her.
Phoebe Hornstein (Lead Docent - c/o '23)
*Original entry August, 2022
Our fourth Lead Docent of the 2022-23 school year is a student who has shown nothing but absolute dedication to the mission and students of the PWM over the last three years. At 18 years young, Phoebe Hornstein is already a passionate voice for any-and-all who need support, a conservationist firebrand who teaches with compassion, conviction, and love.
Ms. Hornstein is the first docent during Mr. Tacata’s tenure as Instructor who has actively spearheaded, written, and created, not one, but two additional sections of our PWM General Tour: the Sun Conure Demo and her baby, the PWM Chinchilla Experience. Phoebe realized early in the school year that two of our most relatable and impactful Animal Ambassadors were being severely under-utilized and that our younger visitors (who may not be so into snakes and other scaly critters) might be able to make a deeper initial connection with our warm blooded Ambassadors… She was spot on! Both the Sun Conure demo and Chinchilla Experience are absolute favorites with our elementary-age visitors and a perfect structure to teach our most animal-anxious visitors about the impact of deforestation and poaching. The vibrational excitement ringing throughout the bodies of our young visitors as Olive flies overhead and the unfettered, ear-to-ear smiles of the children who get to pet for the first time “the World’s softest land animal” – ALL OF THAT is due to Phoebe’s initiative, execution, and vision.
Many students have come through our program and have had “life-changing” experiences, but few have come through and changed the program. Our PWM family has been so, SO fortunate to have Phoebe in our community and the void she will leave will, undoubtedly, be difficult to fill. But moving forward, we are only better because of our amazing student staff, and Phoebe’s work will inspire and excite generations to come.
Phoebe will be attending Oregon State University (Go Beavers!) this fall majoring in Marine Biology. Hail, Hail, Hail to our Chinchilla Whisperer <3
*Original entry August, 2022
Our fourth Lead Docent of the 2022-23 school year is a student who has shown nothing but absolute dedication to the mission and students of the PWM over the last three years. At 18 years young, Phoebe Hornstein is already a passionate voice for any-and-all who need support, a conservationist firebrand who teaches with compassion, conviction, and love.
Ms. Hornstein is the first docent during Mr. Tacata’s tenure as Instructor who has actively spearheaded, written, and created, not one, but two additional sections of our PWM General Tour: the Sun Conure Demo and her baby, the PWM Chinchilla Experience. Phoebe realized early in the school year that two of our most relatable and impactful Animal Ambassadors were being severely under-utilized and that our younger visitors (who may not be so into snakes and other scaly critters) might be able to make a deeper initial connection with our warm blooded Ambassadors… She was spot on! Both the Sun Conure demo and Chinchilla Experience are absolute favorites with our elementary-age visitors and a perfect structure to teach our most animal-anxious visitors about the impact of deforestation and poaching. The vibrational excitement ringing throughout the bodies of our young visitors as Olive flies overhead and the unfettered, ear-to-ear smiles of the children who get to pet for the first time “the World’s softest land animal” – ALL OF THAT is due to Phoebe’s initiative, execution, and vision.
Many students have come through our program and have had “life-changing” experiences, but few have come through and changed the program. Our PWM family has been so, SO fortunate to have Phoebe in our community and the void she will leave will, undoubtedly, be difficult to fill. But moving forward, we are only better because of our amazing student staff, and Phoebe’s work will inspire and excite generations to come.
Phoebe will be attending Oregon State University (Go Beavers!) this fall majoring in Marine Biology. Hail, Hail, Hail to our Chinchilla Whisperer <3
Charlie & Issy
Charles Scott & Isabella Prandi (Lead Docents: 2023-24)
*Original entry Fall, 2023
The present and future of the PWM is in great hands, in no small part due to the excellence and dedication of our two 11th grade Lead Docents, Charles Scott and Isabella Prandi. Don’t let their youth and easy smiles fool you: Charlie and Issy are polished environmental educators who have established themselves in our Museum community as trusted leaders and have become role-models among their peers through the 100s of hours they have each spent mastering and honing their craft.
Of all the students who have been a part of our program’s 30+ year history, you'd have a hard time finding a docent with a PWM pedigree deeper than Charlie Scott. Charlie started his Museum career as a 1st grade summer camper and, shortly thereafter, became a regular volunteer at the PWM. The young keeper continued to work at the Museum through elementary and middle school: practicing the protocols, mastering the lexicon, and learning from the Leads of yesteryear… Charlie was properly gutting iguana enclosures, feeding snakes, and regularly presenting a dozen different Animal Ambassadors to the general public, all well before he learned to do long division or create his first diorama of a California mission.
Now, in his 10th year at the PWM, Charlie is a go-to Lead Docent who has earned the trust of Instructor Tacata as well the admiration of his fellow docents and is the first Lead to respond to the call of opening and closing the Tour… The Wildlife Museum is in this young man’s DNA and his passion for inspiring the next generation of conservationists is the steady beating heart of our program.
----------
Issy’s father recounts a story of the exact moment he knew the young zoophilist was destined to work with animals. While in Hawai’i and returning from a two-week work trip away from home, an exhausted Mr. Prandi disembarked from his plane to find his loving family waiting to greet him at the terminal. Issy, then a 3-year-old toddler, saw her dad at a distance and longingly called out to him across the causeway; her tiny legs began to trot as she deftly navigated the chaotic sea of caffeinated travelers and rolling carry-ons, a vibrating bumblebee buzzing towards her father’s outstretched arms, a girl with a singular, determined focus ready to give her papa what would be a tear-inducing-Hollywood-esque homecoming hug worthy of an episode of “This Is Us” (complete with orchestral strings and slow-motion cinematic framing)... Until she caught sight of a random lapdog in an adjacent waiting area, booked it over there like she was riding a nitrous-powered go-kart, and wrapped that dog in a hug that would make a 1500-pound brown bear feel inadequate. “Nice to see you, Dad, but DOG.” Lol!
Even among this unique cohort -a self-selected group of students who are all “animal-people”- Issy’s naturalistic intelligence rides high in comparison. Her highly (self-)curated presentations exude a palpable air of calm for our visiting public, even when presenting even our most-difficult-to-work-with Animal Ambassadors. She is also one-of-two Spanish-speaking bilingual Lead Docents on staff who is diligently working to translate the information on our tour and on displays to provide greater access for the growing number of Latino and Spanish-speaking families in our changing Petaluma community.
We at the PWM are lucky to have these two amazing young people lead our program over the next two years and our program’s future is bright with Charlie & Issy at the helm.
*Original entry Fall, 2023
The present and future of the PWM is in great hands, in no small part due to the excellence and dedication of our two 11th grade Lead Docents, Charles Scott and Isabella Prandi. Don’t let their youth and easy smiles fool you: Charlie and Issy are polished environmental educators who have established themselves in our Museum community as trusted leaders and have become role-models among their peers through the 100s of hours they have each spent mastering and honing their craft.
Of all the students who have been a part of our program’s 30+ year history, you'd have a hard time finding a docent with a PWM pedigree deeper than Charlie Scott. Charlie started his Museum career as a 1st grade summer camper and, shortly thereafter, became a regular volunteer at the PWM. The young keeper continued to work at the Museum through elementary and middle school: practicing the protocols, mastering the lexicon, and learning from the Leads of yesteryear… Charlie was properly gutting iguana enclosures, feeding snakes, and regularly presenting a dozen different Animal Ambassadors to the general public, all well before he learned to do long division or create his first diorama of a California mission.
Now, in his 10th year at the PWM, Charlie is a go-to Lead Docent who has earned the trust of Instructor Tacata as well the admiration of his fellow docents and is the first Lead to respond to the call of opening and closing the Tour… The Wildlife Museum is in this young man’s DNA and his passion for inspiring the next generation of conservationists is the steady beating heart of our program.
----------
Issy’s father recounts a story of the exact moment he knew the young zoophilist was destined to work with animals. While in Hawai’i and returning from a two-week work trip away from home, an exhausted Mr. Prandi disembarked from his plane to find his loving family waiting to greet him at the terminal. Issy, then a 3-year-old toddler, saw her dad at a distance and longingly called out to him across the causeway; her tiny legs began to trot as she deftly navigated the chaotic sea of caffeinated travelers and rolling carry-ons, a vibrating bumblebee buzzing towards her father’s outstretched arms, a girl with a singular, determined focus ready to give her papa what would be a tear-inducing-Hollywood-esque homecoming hug worthy of an episode of “This Is Us” (complete with orchestral strings and slow-motion cinematic framing)... Until she caught sight of a random lapdog in an adjacent waiting area, booked it over there like she was riding a nitrous-powered go-kart, and wrapped that dog in a hug that would make a 1500-pound brown bear feel inadequate. “Nice to see you, Dad, but DOG.” Lol!
Even among this unique cohort -a self-selected group of students who are all “animal-people”- Issy’s naturalistic intelligence rides high in comparison. Her highly (self-)curated presentations exude a palpable air of calm for our visiting public, even when presenting even our most-difficult-to-work-with Animal Ambassadors. She is also one-of-two Spanish-speaking bilingual Lead Docents on staff who is diligently working to translate the information on our tour and on displays to provide greater access for the growing number of Latino and Spanish-speaking families in our changing Petaluma community.
We at the PWM are lucky to have these two amazing young people lead our program over the next two years and our program’s future is bright with Charlie & Issy at the helm.
Renée & Yasmin
Renée Machado & Yasmin Romo-Macias (Lead Docents: 2023-24)
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Senior Lead Docent, Renée Machado, is one of the most down-to-earth young people you’ll ever meet. The 3rd generation Petaluman grew up around a veritable menagerie of animals on her family farm: chickens & turkeys, sheeps & goats, horses & ducks, cattle and llamas, peacocks and emus, an Ark of animalia that would make even Dr. Doolittle blush! Farm life instilled several values early on that inform Renée’s character: 1) hard work is, by definition, HARD, → you knew what you were signing up for so don’t complain, 2) take care of your animals or they’ll die and that’s your own damn fault, and 3) don’t mess with a woman’s dog or she’ll go Baba Yaga on you (and you’ll deserve it). Renée is very much the Boss of this year’s cohort of Lead Docents and is comfortable delegating tasks to her peers, setting up docents for success, and keeping time during tours, the indispensable crew chief of our pit crew of environmental educators.
Teaching kids about animals as a way to encourage them to care about the world is second nature for Renée. Her love of the Museum stems from the daily opportunities she is afforded to inspire youth about the importance of conservation and protecting wild places, opportunities she does not take for granted. For Renée, this is about protecting her HOME and, in the heart of this young pragmatist, there is nothing more important.
Renée hopes to spend some time traveling after high school before pursuing a degree at a 4-year university in Law or another one of her passions, Film. Check back in about 8 years and you’ll likely see Renée cruisin’ Petaluma Blvd in her matte-black 1969 Boss 429, big, beige Anatolian Shepherd with its head out the passenger window, breeze tickling the tassels hanging off the rear-view from her newly minted Environmental Law degree. She’ll step out of her ‘stang, glass-bottle of real sugar Dr. Pepper in hand, cinematic lens flare panning off her Daven Sun shades… The Baba Yaga is back in her town, ready to protect a fragile world worth saving.
—-------
Giolda “Yasmin” Romo-Macias is a proud young woman whose family hails from the Charreadas and Tequila Capital of the World, El Corazon De Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico. Her family’s earliest recollections of her as a child share a common theme: “...that time she tried to rescue a stray dog from the gas station,” “...that time she left the house and spent the night in the barn with the cows,” “...that time she found that sick turtle and nursed it back to health,” “...that time she crawled into that badger den trying to make a tejón friend.” The young zoophilist has always had a connection to and love for animals, so it wasn’t a surprise when she joined our program in 2022; the classes at the PWM are a known draw for animal-lovers from all around the District. The real surprise, however, comes when you ask Yasmin what she values most about the PWM: “I love the people here… Being able to make connections with not only little kids, but with my classmates over shared passions. That's what’s special about this class; it’s the people, it’s the bonding, the shared love of life.”
Perfectly said, Yasmin… Perfectly said.
Yasmin is our class connector, the dependable person you can always count on who derives joy from helping those in need and gains satisfaction from doing her best for others. She effortlessly floats between all cliques in the Museum bridging groups with laughter and love; the only high school drama she respects comes from her favorite Johanna Lindsey books. Instructor Tacata often refers to the students in the PWM program as “family,” but Yasmin takes this to heart and makes it reality. Her dedication to connection and communication will be felt outside the Museum for generations as she is currently working on translating our Tour script and select displays in the Museum to Spanish in order to help better serve our community’s growing Latino demographic.
The nickname for people from Jalisco, "tapatío," is derived from the Nahuatl word tapatiotl (the name of a monetary unit in pre-Columbian times); Franciscan Alonso de Molina wrote that it referred specifically to "the price of something purchased." Querida, Yasmin. Eres un tesoro.
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Senior Lead Docent, Renée Machado, is one of the most down-to-earth young people you’ll ever meet. The 3rd generation Petaluman grew up around a veritable menagerie of animals on her family farm: chickens & turkeys, sheeps & goats, horses & ducks, cattle and llamas, peacocks and emus, an Ark of animalia that would make even Dr. Doolittle blush! Farm life instilled several values early on that inform Renée’s character: 1) hard work is, by definition, HARD, → you knew what you were signing up for so don’t complain, 2) take care of your animals or they’ll die and that’s your own damn fault, and 3) don’t mess with a woman’s dog or she’ll go Baba Yaga on you (and you’ll deserve it). Renée is very much the Boss of this year’s cohort of Lead Docents and is comfortable delegating tasks to her peers, setting up docents for success, and keeping time during tours, the indispensable crew chief of our pit crew of environmental educators.
Teaching kids about animals as a way to encourage them to care about the world is second nature for Renée. Her love of the Museum stems from the daily opportunities she is afforded to inspire youth about the importance of conservation and protecting wild places, opportunities she does not take for granted. For Renée, this is about protecting her HOME and, in the heart of this young pragmatist, there is nothing more important.
Renée hopes to spend some time traveling after high school before pursuing a degree at a 4-year university in Law or another one of her passions, Film. Check back in about 8 years and you’ll likely see Renée cruisin’ Petaluma Blvd in her matte-black 1969 Boss 429, big, beige Anatolian Shepherd with its head out the passenger window, breeze tickling the tassels hanging off the rear-view from her newly minted Environmental Law degree. She’ll step out of her ‘stang, glass-bottle of real sugar Dr. Pepper in hand, cinematic lens flare panning off her Daven Sun shades… The Baba Yaga is back in her town, ready to protect a fragile world worth saving.
—-------
Giolda “Yasmin” Romo-Macias is a proud young woman whose family hails from the Charreadas and Tequila Capital of the World, El Corazon De Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico. Her family’s earliest recollections of her as a child share a common theme: “...that time she tried to rescue a stray dog from the gas station,” “...that time she left the house and spent the night in the barn with the cows,” “...that time she found that sick turtle and nursed it back to health,” “...that time she crawled into that badger den trying to make a tejón friend.” The young zoophilist has always had a connection to and love for animals, so it wasn’t a surprise when she joined our program in 2022; the classes at the PWM are a known draw for animal-lovers from all around the District. The real surprise, however, comes when you ask Yasmin what she values most about the PWM: “I love the people here… Being able to make connections with not only little kids, but with my classmates over shared passions. That's what’s special about this class; it’s the people, it’s the bonding, the shared love of life.”
Perfectly said, Yasmin… Perfectly said.
Yasmin is our class connector, the dependable person you can always count on who derives joy from helping those in need and gains satisfaction from doing her best for others. She effortlessly floats between all cliques in the Museum bridging groups with laughter and love; the only high school drama she respects comes from her favorite Johanna Lindsey books. Instructor Tacata often refers to the students in the PWM program as “family,” but Yasmin takes this to heart and makes it reality. Her dedication to connection and communication will be felt outside the Museum for generations as she is currently working on translating our Tour script and select displays in the Museum to Spanish in order to help better serve our community’s growing Latino demographic.
The nickname for people from Jalisco, "tapatío," is derived from the Nahuatl word tapatiotl (the name of a monetary unit in pre-Columbian times); Franciscan Alonso de Molina wrote that it referred specifically to "the price of something purchased." Querida, Yasmin. Eres un tesoro.
Natalie & Molly
Natalie Frances & Molly Smith (Lead Docents: 2023-24)
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Senior Docent and ACDC superfan, Natalie Frances, joined the Museum program in 2021 during the initial return of students from the COVID shutdown. A hard-working and dedicated keeper, Natalie fell in love with the Museum’s animals and spent most of her free time after husbandry quietly chillin’ with the snakes and lizards. Instructor Tacata recalls that, at first, the future Lead wasn’t really active in participating in the environmental education side of the program; in fact, one of her major passion projects was not biological but, rather, anthropological as she took the lead in cataloging our now donated Native American artifacts collection. Tacata also observed that she always seemed to have a pen in her hand, over-ear headphones thumping away while she furiously scribbled in a series of notebooks. Finally, after three months of trying to figure this young woman out, Tacata learned she was composing songs for her band, Hot Mesh, and damn; the kid’s work -and music- freakin’ rocked! If only she could put her writing talent and creativity as a performer to work at the Museum…
Fast forward to 2022 and Natalie came back from our class Museum trip to the Wildlife Safari Park in Winston, Oregon, inspired to research, script, and develop a new presentation on the biology and conservation of brown and black bears for our Tour; the young woman knocked it out the park! She had developed and executed one of the first fully-student-created tour presentations at the Museum in over a decade and pulled it off with a creativity and professionalism one would expect from someone 10 years her senior. Since then, Natalie has taken ownership of the North America zone and has become one the most polished and engaging presenters in the program. Instructor Tacata likens her style to a “punk-rock Ms. Frizzle,” a passionate and articulate orator of beautiful conservation stories, always in control, calm on the surface but with a sardonic edge expressed only when describing our species’ history of gluttonous consumerism and small-mindedness toward our world and its natural resources. Universally looked up to by her peers, Natalie leads by example and has left Instructor Tacata thunderstruck, deeply proud of the growth and development she has shown during her years at the PWM.
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Senior Lead Docent, Molly Smith, does her best to make it seem on the outside like she doesn’t care about anything: equal parts dismissive and sarcastic sprinkled with a touch of “bad girl attitude” and a good dollop of post-Grunge fashion sense, folks who don’t know her could easily mistake Molly for being an average American teenage doom-scrolling TikTok narcissist. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Molly Smith is a highly disciplined, heavily empathic, wickedly bright young woman with a deep passion for environmental justice and equity for the oppressed. She is a deep thinker, analytical and logical, a creator dedicated to giving her best efforts to producing excellent work (she just never lets anyone see these sides of her).
Molly is an “Ace” Lead Docent, someone Instructor Tacata trusts with the most difficult tour assignments at the PWM. Recently, Molly has taken up a new role at the Museum and has become the mentor for a young special-needs student interested in joining the PWM program. The gentleness with which Molly interacts with this young person belies her public persona and her connection with individuals, whether one-on-one or leading a tour of 25, is part of what makes her a special and irreplaceable piece of the PWM program. You know those shape-sorter box toys for little kids, the wooden kind with the square, circle, and triangle holes and their corresponding wooden shapes? Yeah, Molly don’t fit that; she’s a wrought-iron star that fits into a heart-shaped box.
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Senior Docent and ACDC superfan, Natalie Frances, joined the Museum program in 2021 during the initial return of students from the COVID shutdown. A hard-working and dedicated keeper, Natalie fell in love with the Museum’s animals and spent most of her free time after husbandry quietly chillin’ with the snakes and lizards. Instructor Tacata recalls that, at first, the future Lead wasn’t really active in participating in the environmental education side of the program; in fact, one of her major passion projects was not biological but, rather, anthropological as she took the lead in cataloging our now donated Native American artifacts collection. Tacata also observed that she always seemed to have a pen in her hand, over-ear headphones thumping away while she furiously scribbled in a series of notebooks. Finally, after three months of trying to figure this young woman out, Tacata learned she was composing songs for her band, Hot Mesh, and damn; the kid’s work -and music- freakin’ rocked! If only she could put her writing talent and creativity as a performer to work at the Museum…
Fast forward to 2022 and Natalie came back from our class Museum trip to the Wildlife Safari Park in Winston, Oregon, inspired to research, script, and develop a new presentation on the biology and conservation of brown and black bears for our Tour; the young woman knocked it out the park! She had developed and executed one of the first fully-student-created tour presentations at the Museum in over a decade and pulled it off with a creativity and professionalism one would expect from someone 10 years her senior. Since then, Natalie has taken ownership of the North America zone and has become one the most polished and engaging presenters in the program. Instructor Tacata likens her style to a “punk-rock Ms. Frizzle,” a passionate and articulate orator of beautiful conservation stories, always in control, calm on the surface but with a sardonic edge expressed only when describing our species’ history of gluttonous consumerism and small-mindedness toward our world and its natural resources. Universally looked up to by her peers, Natalie leads by example and has left Instructor Tacata thunderstruck, deeply proud of the growth and development she has shown during her years at the PWM.
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Senior Lead Docent, Molly Smith, does her best to make it seem on the outside like she doesn’t care about anything: equal parts dismissive and sarcastic sprinkled with a touch of “bad girl attitude” and a good dollop of post-Grunge fashion sense, folks who don’t know her could easily mistake Molly for being an average American teenage doom-scrolling TikTok narcissist. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Molly Smith is a highly disciplined, heavily empathic, wickedly bright young woman with a deep passion for environmental justice and equity for the oppressed. She is a deep thinker, analytical and logical, a creator dedicated to giving her best efforts to producing excellent work (she just never lets anyone see these sides of her).
Molly is an “Ace” Lead Docent, someone Instructor Tacata trusts with the most difficult tour assignments at the PWM. Recently, Molly has taken up a new role at the Museum and has become the mentor for a young special-needs student interested in joining the PWM program. The gentleness with which Molly interacts with this young person belies her public persona and her connection with individuals, whether one-on-one or leading a tour of 25, is part of what makes her a special and irreplaceable piece of the PWM program. You know those shape-sorter box toys for little kids, the wooden kind with the square, circle, and triangle holes and their corresponding wooden shapes? Yeah, Molly don’t fit that; she’s a wrought-iron star that fits into a heart-shaped box.
Reid & Luci
Reid Harrison & Lucienne Hight (Lead Docents: 2023-24)
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Like “wanting a pony” or “playing in the NBA,” there are hundreds-of-thousands of youth across the country who say they want to save dolphins/whales/x (insert cute endangered animal here), but that reality is both rare and incredibly hard to achieve for the majority of dreamers. However, for Senior Lead Docents Reid Harrison & Luci Hight, dreaming is just what they do when they’re not working; these two are “DO-ers” and the pride of both the PWM and the PHS Marine Science programs.
Reid and Luci spend up to 8-hours a week actively participating in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of hundreds of injured and abandoned pinnipeds and other marine mammals for the globally acclaimed Marine Mammal Center Youth Crew, an elite volunteer opportunity earned by a handful of Bay Area teens each year. Once a week, the two Leads drive 50 miles down 101 to the Marin Headlands to work along with and learn from experts in Marine Mammalogy how to prepare and deliver food, clean pens, and assist with the veterinary care of sick and emaciated seals and sea lions rescued from over 600 miles of Northern California coastline. Their work is real, impactful, and making a difference in our community and the precious marine ecosystems on which we so deeply rely… And that’s just Monday night ;)
Reid has been bound to the ocean since he was a little boy. The son of Hawai’ian locals, the young thalassophile grew up loving the Nor Cal surf and sea; it’s a 100% certainty that when he’s not at school, volunteering, or working, the young waterman is out at Dillon beach charging a bomb or up in Bodega Bay dragging for stripers. At the PWM, Reid is one of our most experienced chinchilla handlers and has a special affinity for Kiara, our 11ft hypomelanistic Burmese python. Reid is also the first student that Instructor Tacata will call when a fellow docent needs support with an ocean-themed presentation. The young man’s persistently calm demeanor is a welcome balance to our often chaotic behind-the-scenes reality and Reid is a halcyon during times of distress at the Museum.
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Pound-for-pound, there has never been a docent at the PWM more powerful than Luci Hight. If environmental education were a detergent, Luci would be the small box of Tide, a powerful ignorance cleanser packed full of conservation crystals and the most docent-power-per-dollar that volunteering can buy! Luci is our resident Biodiversity Display expert and routinely takes on the task of teaching our visitors the importance of protecting the stability of our wild ecosystems. At only 17, Luc is a polished presenter and talented educator, capable of processing large amounts of information across biology, sociology, and popular culture and weaving what -at first- may seem as disparate ideas into cohesive, articulate conservation stories; this kid is an Ace and we at the PWM are lucky to have this conservationist firebrand as part of our ranks.
Both Reid and Luci are looking to study Marine Biology in the future and both have their eyes set on the Environmental Studies programs at the University of Hawai’i and Cal Poly Humboldt.
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Like “wanting a pony” or “playing in the NBA,” there are hundreds-of-thousands of youth across the country who say they want to save dolphins/whales/x (insert cute endangered animal here), but that reality is both rare and incredibly hard to achieve for the majority of dreamers. However, for Senior Lead Docents Reid Harrison & Luci Hight, dreaming is just what they do when they’re not working; these two are “DO-ers” and the pride of both the PWM and the PHS Marine Science programs.
Reid and Luci spend up to 8-hours a week actively participating in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of hundreds of injured and abandoned pinnipeds and other marine mammals for the globally acclaimed Marine Mammal Center Youth Crew, an elite volunteer opportunity earned by a handful of Bay Area teens each year. Once a week, the two Leads drive 50 miles down 101 to the Marin Headlands to work along with and learn from experts in Marine Mammalogy how to prepare and deliver food, clean pens, and assist with the veterinary care of sick and emaciated seals and sea lions rescued from over 600 miles of Northern California coastline. Their work is real, impactful, and making a difference in our community and the precious marine ecosystems on which we so deeply rely… And that’s just Monday night ;)
Reid has been bound to the ocean since he was a little boy. The son of Hawai’ian locals, the young thalassophile grew up loving the Nor Cal surf and sea; it’s a 100% certainty that when he’s not at school, volunteering, or working, the young waterman is out at Dillon beach charging a bomb or up in Bodega Bay dragging for stripers. At the PWM, Reid is one of our most experienced chinchilla handlers and has a special affinity for Kiara, our 11ft hypomelanistic Burmese python. Reid is also the first student that Instructor Tacata will call when a fellow docent needs support with an ocean-themed presentation. The young man’s persistently calm demeanor is a welcome balance to our often chaotic behind-the-scenes reality and Reid is a halcyon during times of distress at the Museum.
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Pound-for-pound, there has never been a docent at the PWM more powerful than Luci Hight. If environmental education were a detergent, Luci would be the small box of Tide, a powerful ignorance cleanser packed full of conservation crystals and the most docent-power-per-dollar that volunteering can buy! Luci is our resident Biodiversity Display expert and routinely takes on the task of teaching our visitors the importance of protecting the stability of our wild ecosystems. At only 17, Luc is a polished presenter and talented educator, capable of processing large amounts of information across biology, sociology, and popular culture and weaving what -at first- may seem as disparate ideas into cohesive, articulate conservation stories; this kid is an Ace and we at the PWM are lucky to have this conservationist firebrand as part of our ranks.
Both Reid and Luci are looking to study Marine Biology in the future and both have their eyes set on the Environmental Studies programs at the University of Hawai’i and Cal Poly Humboldt.
Grayson
Grayson Mentzer (Lead Docent: 2023-24)
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Grayson once told Instructor Tacata that all he wants to do at the Museum is “everything.” Two-and-a-half years later, the young man has put in over 220 hours of out-of-class event service spending his afternoons, evenings, and weekends leading Birthday Parties, taking care of the tortoises of Da Toe’s Army, leading the PWM Pigeon Crew in the development and construction of our new PWM Aviary, tabling at every local science and community fair, and even volunteering for the Museum during our off-season summers, helping out in any and every way needed. Grayson is a wellspring of energy and his love and commitment to the Museum is unmatched.
As a Lead Docent, Grayson is quick to volunteer for any zone, but his current specialties include Southern white rhino conservation as well as teaching our visitors what they can do to help protect biodiversity during the tour Outro. In the new year, Grayson (along with fellow Leads, Molly & Issy) will also be introducing the visiting public to the beautiful and diverse array of pigeons in our new Aviary, the PWM’s newest live animal exhibit. Grayson’s goal, like all Lead Docents, is to master every zone; come Spring, I wouldn’t be surprised to find the young man leading complete tours of the premises, all on his own.
Instructor Tacata is impressed with the growth and development this young man has shown during his time at the Museum. He loves this community and his fellow classmates and is deeply dedicated to the mission of the PWM, his commitment as powerful and tight as his curly, auspicious locks. As elucidated in 2022’s Oscar winning film, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Grayson has chosen a path at the Museum rarely taken by its members and has come to experience a profound truth: the only meaning to be found in life is the people in it, and so the solution is to be present every moment possible.
*Original entry Fall, 2023
Grayson once told Instructor Tacata that all he wants to do at the Museum is “everything.” Two-and-a-half years later, the young man has put in over 220 hours of out-of-class event service spending his afternoons, evenings, and weekends leading Birthday Parties, taking care of the tortoises of Da Toe’s Army, leading the PWM Pigeon Crew in the development and construction of our new PWM Aviary, tabling at every local science and community fair, and even volunteering for the Museum during our off-season summers, helping out in any and every way needed. Grayson is a wellspring of energy and his love and commitment to the Museum is unmatched.
As a Lead Docent, Grayson is quick to volunteer for any zone, but his current specialties include Southern white rhino conservation as well as teaching our visitors what they can do to help protect biodiversity during the tour Outro. In the new year, Grayson (along with fellow Leads, Molly & Issy) will also be introducing the visiting public to the beautiful and diverse array of pigeons in our new Aviary, the PWM’s newest live animal exhibit. Grayson’s goal, like all Lead Docents, is to master every zone; come Spring, I wouldn’t be surprised to find the young man leading complete tours of the premises, all on his own.
Instructor Tacata is impressed with the growth and development this young man has shown during his time at the Museum. He loves this community and his fellow classmates and is deeply dedicated to the mission of the PWM, his commitment as powerful and tight as his curly, auspicious locks. As elucidated in 2022’s Oscar winning film, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Grayson has chosen a path at the Museum rarely taken by its members and has come to experience a profound truth: the only meaning to be found in life is the people in it, and so the solution is to be present every moment possible.
Natalie & Allie
Natalie St. John & Allie Marr (Lead Docents: 2023-24)
*Original entry January, 2024
Growing up in Alaska, Natalie St. John has a perspective on the use and management of natural resources that’s very different from a typical Californian; she’s conservative, but not politically, just in how she respects nature, property, and the management of wild places. She has made it a personal mission of sorts to share with any-and-all who would like to listen and learn the intricacies and nuances of American fisheries agricultural management, all with a lens of practical conservation and heart for wildlife conservation while, simultaneously, supporting the American fisher and farmer and their contributions to food security in our country. The young maven is a passionate and influential conservationist who loves the ocean and has the skills to influence her family, friends, and community to love and protect our oceans and wild places as well.
New to the Petaluma Wildlife Program just this year, Natalie has risen through the ranks of our docent program at an astonishing rate to become one of our go-to Lead Docents and most trusted student educators. Natalie has an easy way with young ones and has mastered teaching concepts of trophic cascades and arctic adaptations of gray wolves (in our North America exhibit), invasive iguana explosions throughout the Americas (in our Reptile Room), and the paleontologically derived feeding adaptations of the Dinosaur King, T. rex (in our Natural Sciences exhibit)... She is a fantastically talented educator and her subject-excellence at the PWM is wide ranging, accurate, and impactful.
Like they say in the 49th state, “The odds are good, but the goods are odd.” As far as we’re concerned at the PWM, we hit the jackpot with Natalie St. John.
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You will meet few teens as quietly competent and thoroughly brilliant as PWM Senior, Allie Marr. The young docent has a natural affinity for teaching, a penchant for perfection, a quirky sense of humor, and a deep heart for conservation. She is comfortable teaching even the most complex environmental concepts to all developmental levels, able to deftly explain anything from habitat loss and invasive species to our visiting littles to the chemistry behind ocean acidification and aboriginal subsistence whaling policy to our touring adults.
She is also as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Allie Marr is pop-punk, manifest. Her presentations are relatable to the masses, but her attitude and affect is one of societal change and revolutionary action; she teaches much more than what comes out of her mouth. Allie knows that she is a role model for each and any of the 3500+ local youth who come through our doors each school year and this young woman of color understands that “diversity & inclusion” aren’t just hot button polemical terms to appease the woke crowd: kids need to see others that are like them AND unlike them to know what they can be and who is invited to the table. As the claws of climate change continue to disproportionately affect the poor and the disenfranchised, girls and women -especially women of color- will have to be the leaders of this new age. Allie, and other young scientists/naturalists/educators like her, will be a key piece in changing the world, and we at the PWM are so, so proud of our punk rock pedagog.
*Original entry January, 2024
Growing up in Alaska, Natalie St. John has a perspective on the use and management of natural resources that’s very different from a typical Californian; she’s conservative, but not politically, just in how she respects nature, property, and the management of wild places. She has made it a personal mission of sorts to share with any-and-all who would like to listen and learn the intricacies and nuances of American fisheries agricultural management, all with a lens of practical conservation and heart for wildlife conservation while, simultaneously, supporting the American fisher and farmer and their contributions to food security in our country. The young maven is a passionate and influential conservationist who loves the ocean and has the skills to influence her family, friends, and community to love and protect our oceans and wild places as well.
New to the Petaluma Wildlife Program just this year, Natalie has risen through the ranks of our docent program at an astonishing rate to become one of our go-to Lead Docents and most trusted student educators. Natalie has an easy way with young ones and has mastered teaching concepts of trophic cascades and arctic adaptations of gray wolves (in our North America exhibit), invasive iguana explosions throughout the Americas (in our Reptile Room), and the paleontologically derived feeding adaptations of the Dinosaur King, T. rex (in our Natural Sciences exhibit)... She is a fantastically talented educator and her subject-excellence at the PWM is wide ranging, accurate, and impactful.
Like they say in the 49th state, “The odds are good, but the goods are odd.” As far as we’re concerned at the PWM, we hit the jackpot with Natalie St. John.
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You will meet few teens as quietly competent and thoroughly brilliant as PWM Senior, Allie Marr. The young docent has a natural affinity for teaching, a penchant for perfection, a quirky sense of humor, and a deep heart for conservation. She is comfortable teaching even the most complex environmental concepts to all developmental levels, able to deftly explain anything from habitat loss and invasive species to our visiting littles to the chemistry behind ocean acidification and aboriginal subsistence whaling policy to our touring adults.
She is also as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Allie Marr is pop-punk, manifest. Her presentations are relatable to the masses, but her attitude and affect is one of societal change and revolutionary action; she teaches much more than what comes out of her mouth. Allie knows that she is a role model for each and any of the 3500+ local youth who come through our doors each school year and this young woman of color understands that “diversity & inclusion” aren’t just hot button polemical terms to appease the woke crowd: kids need to see others that are like them AND unlike them to know what they can be and who is invited to the table. As the claws of climate change continue to disproportionately affect the poor and the disenfranchised, girls and women -especially women of color- will have to be the leaders of this new age. Allie, and other young scientists/naturalists/educators like her, will be a key piece in changing the world, and we at the PWM are so, so proud of our punk rock pedagog.
Charlie and Addi
Charles Scott & Addison Newman (Lead Docents, c/o 2025)
Charlie Scott and Addi Newman are the beating heart of the PWM. With some 24 years of Wildlife Museum experience between them –both were campers back in 2012 when they were FIVE!– Charlie and Addi have this place in their blood.
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If pixies were real, Addi would be their Queen, an ethereal sprite who seems to float more than fly. Don’t let her devilish smile fool you; behind those shimmering eyes and ocarina-like voice is a real-deal environmental educator, a deeply passionate activist who fights with conviction and grit, a brilliant artist who paints with science and data. Her canvas is the young people who step daily through our doors, the lucky children who have their deepest wishes granted by the Queen of the Forest. Addi is that teacher we all had as a kid, a storyteller that caught us, spellbound, with stories of kudu and rhinoceros and leopards, beautiful stories that stay with us our entire lives, tattooed as dark stars blushed across our cheeks.
After high school, Addi is looking to pursue a career in cosmetology with the goal of breaking into the world of theatrical makeup. Addi’s heart, however, will always be where the wild things are as she ultimately plans to study Zoology and Environmental Studies… And conquer her fear of the Ocean. Instructor Tacata has learned to never doubt the Sprite; if there is a magical spell that would allow a person to do any-and-all-such-things, Addi is the person who could speak it into existence. All it takes is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.
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Everywhere Instructor Tacata goes in the PWM, he sees a little bit of Charlie Scott. For 12 years, the young man has poured his heart and soul into this place, its people, and its animals. You would be hard-pressed to meet an American teen as dedicated to his community as Charlie is to ours… He has held every job a student can legally perform on our premises and is a natural leader and consummate teammate; Charlie is always the first to volunteer to do the most demanding-tasks, the dirtiest jobs, and care for the most difficult kids. He is also a man of conviction; with his trademark sardonic sense of humor, Charlie always performs his jobs with a deep professionalism, a solid foundation built on his love and belief in the mission of our program. Charlie’s whole M.O. at the PWM can summed up by a quote from the great Steve Rogers: “When the whole world tries to tell you that something wrong is something right, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and say ‘No, you move.’”
Captain America is not from Brooklyn, y’all… He’s from Westside Petaluma.
When Charlie graduates in the Spring of 2025, he will have completed a remarkable career at the Museum and his particular niche will be difficult –maybe impossible– to fill. An outstanding academic, Charlie will be attending a 4-year university with the intent to study Environmental Science with a focus on Policy & Management. Mr. Scott is a keystone species in our personal ecosystem, deeply connected to any and all that hold the PWM dear. We love you, young man; thank you for your service.
Charlie Scott and Addi Newman are the beating heart of the PWM. With some 24 years of Wildlife Museum experience between them –both were campers back in 2012 when they were FIVE!– Charlie and Addi have this place in their blood.
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If pixies were real, Addi would be their Queen, an ethereal sprite who seems to float more than fly. Don’t let her devilish smile fool you; behind those shimmering eyes and ocarina-like voice is a real-deal environmental educator, a deeply passionate activist who fights with conviction and grit, a brilliant artist who paints with science and data. Her canvas is the young people who step daily through our doors, the lucky children who have their deepest wishes granted by the Queen of the Forest. Addi is that teacher we all had as a kid, a storyteller that caught us, spellbound, with stories of kudu and rhinoceros and leopards, beautiful stories that stay with us our entire lives, tattooed as dark stars blushed across our cheeks.
After high school, Addi is looking to pursue a career in cosmetology with the goal of breaking into the world of theatrical makeup. Addi’s heart, however, will always be where the wild things are as she ultimately plans to study Zoology and Environmental Studies… And conquer her fear of the Ocean. Instructor Tacata has learned to never doubt the Sprite; if there is a magical spell that would allow a person to do any-and-all-such-things, Addi is the person who could speak it into existence. All it takes is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.
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Everywhere Instructor Tacata goes in the PWM, he sees a little bit of Charlie Scott. For 12 years, the young man has poured his heart and soul into this place, its people, and its animals. You would be hard-pressed to meet an American teen as dedicated to his community as Charlie is to ours… He has held every job a student can legally perform on our premises and is a natural leader and consummate teammate; Charlie is always the first to volunteer to do the most demanding-tasks, the dirtiest jobs, and care for the most difficult kids. He is also a man of conviction; with his trademark sardonic sense of humor, Charlie always performs his jobs with a deep professionalism, a solid foundation built on his love and belief in the mission of our program. Charlie’s whole M.O. at the PWM can summed up by a quote from the great Steve Rogers: “When the whole world tries to tell you that something wrong is something right, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and say ‘No, you move.’”
Captain America is not from Brooklyn, y’all… He’s from Westside Petaluma.
When Charlie graduates in the Spring of 2025, he will have completed a remarkable career at the Museum and his particular niche will be difficult –maybe impossible– to fill. An outstanding academic, Charlie will be attending a 4-year university with the intent to study Environmental Science with a focus on Policy & Management. Mr. Scott is a keystone species in our personal ecosystem, deeply connected to any and all that hold the PWM dear. We love you, young man; thank you for your service.
Issy P and Darcy (with Keylie in the back)
Isabella Prandi & Maya D'arcy (Lead Docents, c/o 2025)
Senior Lead Docent and resident Animal Whisperer, Issy Prandi, spent last summer in East Africa volunteering for the Melissa Prandi Children’s Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering impoverished communities in Uganda. Instructor Tacata noticed the difference in his young Lead the moment she came back to Petaluma; she was changed. While in Uganda, Issy experienced, first-hand, the devastating pressure of poverty and systematic oppression that Ugandan girls navigate daily, but –more importantly– was witness to their irrepressible dreams and powerful resilience, their complete dedication their community, and their commitment to the cultivation of harmony, not just between people, but between the land and sky and all that fall between.
Issy’s Ugandan experience gave her a new global perspective on the importance of her responsibilities at the PWM and the urgency of what she teaches to this next generation of conservationists. While on safari, she saw all the iconic African savanna animals in a new light; not as individual exhibits as you would experience at a zoo, but as part of an intricate ecosystem –humans included– that need support, protection, and balance in the form of environmental equity, justice, and compassion in order to thrive. Issy has taken these lessons to heart and continues on as one of our most passionate and dedicated docents at the Museum, teaching not just our visitors but her classmates about her experiences and newfound perspectives. Education can be a violent endeavor; changing the paradigms that people hold dear can be destructive and painful; folks don’t always like to learn. But as the old Ugandan proverb says, “A dog with a bone in his mouth cannot bite you,” and Issy P will always feed you with the truth, no matter how scary your teeth are.
After graduation, Issy hopes to attend SRJC while pursuing work and experience at local conservation-based organizations and rescues. Her short-term dream is to study at the Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College in Southern California and, ultimately, pursue a career in Animal Husbandry. Her long-term dream is to get Taylor Swift to sing at her wedding, but that's gonna take a little more planning ;)
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There is no student at the PWM more perceptive, patient, and empathic than the inimitable Maya D’Arcy. Instructor Tacata has his “go-to” Lead Docents for just about any task: need a lead in a pinch? Ask Charlie; need a kid who’s good with the constrictors? Ask Addi; need a Lead that can run a birthday party for crazy kids on a Sunday? Ask Issy. But who do you go to when you need to understand the temperature of a room full of 6-year-olds, when you need someone who can engage kids in a chaotic situation and understands how to create structure, safety, and comfortability for littles?
Tacata goes to Darcy because she’s the truth.
Maya Darcy is one of the finest natural teachers of young children Instructor Tacata has met in his 25 year career; she brings a sense of calm and confidence with her that allows her to not only connect deeply with children, but her decisive navigation of community spaces and understanding of the intersection of varied personalities allows her to provide a safe-space of trust and assurance for the littles under her charge. Darcy is a rare talent in the world of pedagogy; she’s a connector, and to watch her take a group of scared and anxious children and get them laughing and holding roaches and lizards is to watch a master at work.
A proud member of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (and like Instructor Tacata, a Pacifica/Daly City transplant), Darcy came to the PWM a bit of a wallflower, a shy and unsure 14-year-old sophomore girl still trying to find her place in our crazy town. But in the last 2 & 1/2 years, she has blossomed into a deft leader and powerful organizer, a beautiful and confident young woman, and a trusted friend among her peers. She carries the spirit and strength of her people in her heart, navigating what seems like an infinite babble of microaggressions and drama with a riparian ethos that ebbs and flows as seamlessly as our Petaluma River. This is, of course, to be expected: she is, after all, a River Girl to the core and no trifling little gusts of wind could ever stop the tide.
When Maya graduates this Spring, she looks to continue her education here in the North Bay at either SRJC or Sonoma State University and wants to explore a career as an EMT or paramedic. However, her father and Instructor Tacata think she’d also make a fine teacher… We see no lies here. Keep on keeping on, Miss D’Arcy!
Senior Lead Docent and resident Animal Whisperer, Issy Prandi, spent last summer in East Africa volunteering for the Melissa Prandi Children’s Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering impoverished communities in Uganda. Instructor Tacata noticed the difference in his young Lead the moment she came back to Petaluma; she was changed. While in Uganda, Issy experienced, first-hand, the devastating pressure of poverty and systematic oppression that Ugandan girls navigate daily, but –more importantly– was witness to their irrepressible dreams and powerful resilience, their complete dedication their community, and their commitment to the cultivation of harmony, not just between people, but between the land and sky and all that fall between.
Issy’s Ugandan experience gave her a new global perspective on the importance of her responsibilities at the PWM and the urgency of what she teaches to this next generation of conservationists. While on safari, she saw all the iconic African savanna animals in a new light; not as individual exhibits as you would experience at a zoo, but as part of an intricate ecosystem –humans included– that need support, protection, and balance in the form of environmental equity, justice, and compassion in order to thrive. Issy has taken these lessons to heart and continues on as one of our most passionate and dedicated docents at the Museum, teaching not just our visitors but her classmates about her experiences and newfound perspectives. Education can be a violent endeavor; changing the paradigms that people hold dear can be destructive and painful; folks don’t always like to learn. But as the old Ugandan proverb says, “A dog with a bone in his mouth cannot bite you,” and Issy P will always feed you with the truth, no matter how scary your teeth are.
After graduation, Issy hopes to attend SRJC while pursuing work and experience at local conservation-based organizations and rescues. Her short-term dream is to study at the Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College in Southern California and, ultimately, pursue a career in Animal Husbandry. Her long-term dream is to get Taylor Swift to sing at her wedding, but that's gonna take a little more planning ;)
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There is no student at the PWM more perceptive, patient, and empathic than the inimitable Maya D’Arcy. Instructor Tacata has his “go-to” Lead Docents for just about any task: need a lead in a pinch? Ask Charlie; need a kid who’s good with the constrictors? Ask Addi; need a Lead that can run a birthday party for crazy kids on a Sunday? Ask Issy. But who do you go to when you need to understand the temperature of a room full of 6-year-olds, when you need someone who can engage kids in a chaotic situation and understands how to create structure, safety, and comfortability for littles?
Tacata goes to Darcy because she’s the truth.
Maya Darcy is one of the finest natural teachers of young children Instructor Tacata has met in his 25 year career; she brings a sense of calm and confidence with her that allows her to not only connect deeply with children, but her decisive navigation of community spaces and understanding of the intersection of varied personalities allows her to provide a safe-space of trust and assurance for the littles under her charge. Darcy is a rare talent in the world of pedagogy; she’s a connector, and to watch her take a group of scared and anxious children and get them laughing and holding roaches and lizards is to watch a master at work.
A proud member of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (and like Instructor Tacata, a Pacifica/Daly City transplant), Darcy came to the PWM a bit of a wallflower, a shy and unsure 14-year-old sophomore girl still trying to find her place in our crazy town. But in the last 2 & 1/2 years, she has blossomed into a deft leader and powerful organizer, a beautiful and confident young woman, and a trusted friend among her peers. She carries the spirit and strength of her people in her heart, navigating what seems like an infinite babble of microaggressions and drama with a riparian ethos that ebbs and flows as seamlessly as our Petaluma River. This is, of course, to be expected: she is, after all, a River Girl to the core and no trifling little gusts of wind could ever stop the tide.
When Maya graduates this Spring, she looks to continue her education here in the North Bay at either SRJC or Sonoma State University and wants to explore a career as an EMT or paramedic. However, her father and Instructor Tacata think she’d also make a fine teacher… We see no lies here. Keep on keeping on, Miss D’Arcy!
Keylie and Gloria
Keylie Laumann & Gloria Reyes-Mitchell (Lead Docents, c/o 2025)
Senior Lead Docent, Keylie Laumann, is an animal savant; she is fluent in the language of animal behavior in a way that most folks, including Instructor Tacata, are woefully ignorant. While writing this bio, I felt I needed a bit more insight into her gifts, so I called her and asked her to tell me what makes her so good at reading animal behaviors. The conversation started like this:
Keylie: “Hey, what’s up, T? I’m driving right now but you’re on speaker.”
Tacata: “S’all good, dude. I can call you back at a better time.”
Keylie: “Nah, it’s cool. Lemme just put this chicken that’s on my lap in the back seat and get you on the bluetooth; hold up…”
Spoiler: Keylie can do what she does because she’s literally been working with livestock and exotic animals since she was 6 years old. She thinks about animals 18 hours a day, dreams about animals the other 6, and hasn’t stopped hanging out with animals since the iPhone 1 was released in 2007. Eleven years ago, Keylie cut her teeth working with trail ponies at Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay, then worked part-time with just about every horse & pony outfit in North County. At 14, she started working with Bonnie Cromwell of Classroom Safari and excelled at learning the ins-and-outs of each creature in Bonnie’s Petaluma menagerie. In addition to the 60+ snakes & critters at the PWM, Keylie’s become deeply experienced working with and observing sloths, servals, porcupines, and gators; she lives the dream of every aspiring Dr. Doolittle or Avatar Aang, a life that would make Bubbles of the Powerpuff Girl jealous.
Genius is a gift, but what Keylie has she’s earned through years of observation, discipline, and attention to detail. She picks up on (and downloads) animal behaviors that regular folk don’t see: how the chinchillas react when a kid walks by who had just been holding a python; how the cave geckos are a little bit more antsy in the morning and after being misted; how the iguanas seem to calm down when held above your head (as if they were in a tree)... It looks like genius, but what it is is dedication to understanding non-human consciousness on their terms (not ours).
What is equally impressive is Keylie’s dedication to teaching the conservation stories of every one of our animals and taxidermy to the public; she has written and memorized full scripts for no less than 30 live animals and taxidermy displays here at the PWM and is a free and welcoming library of knowledge for any docent that wants to learn the craft.
After graduation in Spring, Keylie is looking to enter a trade school and ultimately become a contractor. But animals and conservation will never be far from her life: she’ll continue to volunteer and look for opportunities to intern at any number of animal rescues and/or shelters, and has no shame in trying to fulfill her childhood dream of owning her own petting zoo of exotics and 4-legged friends. Keylie’s M.O. can be summed up by a verse from the late, great Sammy Davis Jr.
“If I could talk to the animals.
Think what fun we'd have.
Asking over crocodiles for tea.
Or maybe lunch with two or three lions.
Walruses and sea lions.
What a lovely place the world would be.”
—-----------------
The PWM is proud to introduce our newest Lead Docent for the 2024/25 school year, Miss Gloria Reyes-Mitchell. Gloria came to us in 2022 via Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa and, subsequently, fell in love with the PWM. A brilliant student (with impeccable musical taste), Gloria brings a novel sensibility to our group of Lead Docents. She understands the everyday flow of our Museum and is a wellspring of great insights and ideas for improving and executing existing protocols, from alternative fundraisers to new presentations and new traditions.
Gloria gets along with a diverse range of folks at the Museum and is a tireless worker who has gained the respect and trust of her fellow classmates. Over the years, she has become an expert and taken ownership of several niche -but integral- presentations at the PWM: she (with fellow lead, Maya Darcy) developed an ace presentation on spotted hyenas (the baddest girls on the African savanna), has become one of the personal and specialized care-takers of both our rock and St. Lucia iguanas (Dwyane and Rufio), and leads off every tour with a fabulous presentation on the importance of biodiversity as a stabilizing force in wild ecosystems.
Instructor Tacata is most impressed with Miss Reyes’ deep dedication to the PWM; she’s there for every Open House and out-of-class event, down to scrub dishes and aquariums to sweeping the courtyard and cleaning out tortoise bins, ready to show kids a snake or talk about a pigeon or lead a tour… The young pedagog doesn’t whine, doesn’t complain, and doesn’t flinch; she does one thing → Gloria gets done what needs to be done!
After graduation, Gloria is looking to attend a 4-year university and major in Biology or Neuroscience with the intent of one day attending med school and pursuing a career as a psychiatrist. One day, she’ll turn in her PWM nametag for a doctor’s badge and take care of people instead of lizards… Your PWM family is proud of you, Gloria; never stop protecting what you love!
Senior Lead Docent, Keylie Laumann, is an animal savant; she is fluent in the language of animal behavior in a way that most folks, including Instructor Tacata, are woefully ignorant. While writing this bio, I felt I needed a bit more insight into her gifts, so I called her and asked her to tell me what makes her so good at reading animal behaviors. The conversation started like this:
Keylie: “Hey, what’s up, T? I’m driving right now but you’re on speaker.”
Tacata: “S’all good, dude. I can call you back at a better time.”
Keylie: “Nah, it’s cool. Lemme just put this chicken that’s on my lap in the back seat and get you on the bluetooth; hold up…”
Spoiler: Keylie can do what she does because she’s literally been working with livestock and exotic animals since she was 6 years old. She thinks about animals 18 hours a day, dreams about animals the other 6, and hasn’t stopped hanging out with animals since the iPhone 1 was released in 2007. Eleven years ago, Keylie cut her teeth working with trail ponies at Chanslor Ranch in Bodega Bay, then worked part-time with just about every horse & pony outfit in North County. At 14, she started working with Bonnie Cromwell of Classroom Safari and excelled at learning the ins-and-outs of each creature in Bonnie’s Petaluma menagerie. In addition to the 60+ snakes & critters at the PWM, Keylie’s become deeply experienced working with and observing sloths, servals, porcupines, and gators; she lives the dream of every aspiring Dr. Doolittle or Avatar Aang, a life that would make Bubbles of the Powerpuff Girl jealous.
Genius is a gift, but what Keylie has she’s earned through years of observation, discipline, and attention to detail. She picks up on (and downloads) animal behaviors that regular folk don’t see: how the chinchillas react when a kid walks by who had just been holding a python; how the cave geckos are a little bit more antsy in the morning and after being misted; how the iguanas seem to calm down when held above your head (as if they were in a tree)... It looks like genius, but what it is is dedication to understanding non-human consciousness on their terms (not ours).
What is equally impressive is Keylie’s dedication to teaching the conservation stories of every one of our animals and taxidermy to the public; she has written and memorized full scripts for no less than 30 live animals and taxidermy displays here at the PWM and is a free and welcoming library of knowledge for any docent that wants to learn the craft.
After graduation in Spring, Keylie is looking to enter a trade school and ultimately become a contractor. But animals and conservation will never be far from her life: she’ll continue to volunteer and look for opportunities to intern at any number of animal rescues and/or shelters, and has no shame in trying to fulfill her childhood dream of owning her own petting zoo of exotics and 4-legged friends. Keylie’s M.O. can be summed up by a verse from the late, great Sammy Davis Jr.
“If I could talk to the animals.
Think what fun we'd have.
Asking over crocodiles for tea.
Or maybe lunch with two or three lions.
Walruses and sea lions.
What a lovely place the world would be.”
—-----------------
The PWM is proud to introduce our newest Lead Docent for the 2024/25 school year, Miss Gloria Reyes-Mitchell. Gloria came to us in 2022 via Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa and, subsequently, fell in love with the PWM. A brilliant student (with impeccable musical taste), Gloria brings a novel sensibility to our group of Lead Docents. She understands the everyday flow of our Museum and is a wellspring of great insights and ideas for improving and executing existing protocols, from alternative fundraisers to new presentations and new traditions.
Gloria gets along with a diverse range of folks at the Museum and is a tireless worker who has gained the respect and trust of her fellow classmates. Over the years, she has become an expert and taken ownership of several niche -but integral- presentations at the PWM: she (with fellow lead, Maya Darcy) developed an ace presentation on spotted hyenas (the baddest girls on the African savanna), has become one of the personal and specialized care-takers of both our rock and St. Lucia iguanas (Dwyane and Rufio), and leads off every tour with a fabulous presentation on the importance of biodiversity as a stabilizing force in wild ecosystems.
Instructor Tacata is most impressed with Miss Reyes’ deep dedication to the PWM; she’s there for every Open House and out-of-class event, down to scrub dishes and aquariums to sweeping the courtyard and cleaning out tortoise bins, ready to show kids a snake or talk about a pigeon or lead a tour… The young pedagog doesn’t whine, doesn’t complain, and doesn’t flinch; she does one thing → Gloria gets done what needs to be done!
After graduation, Gloria is looking to attend a 4-year university and major in Biology or Neuroscience with the intent of one day attending med school and pursuing a career as a psychiatrist. One day, she’ll turn in her PWM nametag for a doctor’s badge and take care of people instead of lizards… Your PWM family is proud of you, Gloria; never stop protecting what you love!